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Diets that are high in trans fats, saturated fats, processed foods and added sugars can sap your energy. Edwards recommends switching to a diet high in good sources of protein — mainly fish, nuts, seeds and beans — with eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Watch out for grains, though. These complex carbs affect insulin. “Insulin is the storage hormone that makes us heavier. The heavier we are, the higher our blood sugar becomes, and the more insulin resistance (prediabetes) we develop,” she says.

Iodine, present in the iodized salt that many people with heart disease and high blood pressure avoid. “Low iodine states can result in fatigue,” she says.

3. Not enough omega-3

Fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids — but most of us don’t eat enough. “I recommend about 1,000 mg of an omega-3 supplement,” says Edwards. “My preference is fish oil because it is the long-chain form that our body needs.”

4. Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D gives us energy. Low levels of this vitamin can cause low energy and depression. “Vitamin D and omega-3 are necessary for every single cell in the body — including brain cells — to work properly,” says Edwards. If blood tests reveal low vitamin D levels, she recommends supplements.

5. Low magnesium

We are born with a finite amount of magnesium — also needed for energy production — in our bones and muscles. The vast majority of Americans get less than half the required amount of this mineral from their diet.

“Magnesium is still leaching out of our bones and muscles in our 40s and 50s,” says Edwards. She recommends magnesium replacement for those with symptoms of a total body deficit: insomnia, fatigue, constipation, muscle cramps and pain, joint pain, anxiety and elevated blood pressure.

6. Poor sleep

When it comes to sleep difficulties, “we’ve got the perfect storm happening in our 40s and 50s,” says Edwards. Reasons for lost sleep include increased work responsibilities, living with teens, aging parents and falling magnesium levels.